Hi! I’m Kristal
Through Because She’s Adopted, Kristal Parke shares conversations about adoption, identity and healing, creating space for truth, compassion and connection.
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“Addictions flourish in isolation. They get much better when we’re in community sharing our truth.” – Patrece Maluzynsky
In this episode of Because She’s Adopted, Kristal Parke sits down with adoptees Greta Handgis and Patrece Maluzynsky for an honest conversation about the often overlooked connection between adoption trauma and eating disorders. Both women were born during the Baby Scoop Era and share deeply personal stories of growing up with feelings of shame, anxiety and disconnection. Their experiences reveal how unresolved trauma can manifest in disordered eating, body image struggles and the search for control, while also offering hope through recovery, therapy and community.
Whether you’re an adoptee, a loved one or someone navigating your own recovery journey, this episode is a powerful reminder that healing begins when we no longer carry our struggles alone.
Understanding the Connection Between Adoption and Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are often misunderstood as being solely about food or body image. Greta and Patrece explain how, for many adoptees, they can become a way of coping with unresolved trauma, fear, shame and the lifelong search for belonging. Their stories illustrate how adoption related loss can influence mental health in ways that are often invisible to others.
Growing Up During the Baby Scoop Era
Both Greta and Patrece were adopted during the Baby Scoop Era, a time when thousands of mothers were pressured into relinquishing their children. Both on growing up in families that loved them while also navigating unanswered questions, secrecy and the emotional impact of early separation. Their experiences remind us that adoption is rarely a single event, something many adoptees continue processing throughout their lives.
When Food Becomes a Way to Cope
The conversation explores how eating disorders developed differently for each guest. Greta describes her experience with anorexia, body dysmorphia and the pursuit of control, while Patrece shares her journey through compulsive overeating, bulimia and recovery from food addiction. Although their stories differ, both reveal how food became a response to emotional pain rather than its cause.
Shame, Body Image and Self-Worth
From comments about weight to impossible beauty standards, Greta and Patrece discuss how shame shaped their relationship with their bodies from an early age. The conversation also highlights how adoption related feelings of not belonging can magnify self criticism and perfectionism, creating a cycle that becomes difficult to escape without support.
Why Recovery Requires Community
One of the most hopeful parts of this episode is the discussion about recovery. Both guests describe how healing began when they stopped carrying their struggles in isolation. Through therapy, recovery communities and honest conversations, they found the courage to challenge shame and begin rebuilding healthier relationships with themselves. Their stories remind us that recovery is rarely linear, but it becomes possible when people feel seen, understood and supported.
Listen to this episode on the
Because She Was Adopted Podcast
Healing doesn’t happen by pretending the past didn’t matter. Throughout this conversation, Greta and Patrece remind us that recovery isn’t about perfection−it’s about learning to replace shame with self compassion, isolation with community and silence with truth. For many adoptees, healing means understanding that the ways they’ve coped were never signs of weakness. They were attempts to survive experiences that often went unseen or misunderstood.
If this episode resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. Every story shared has the power to help someone else feel seen, understood and hopeful about their own journey.
With all my love,
Kristal
